Texas Lawmakers propose amendments to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code

Austin, Texas, USA at the Texas State Capitol

In the Texas 89th Legislative Session, Texas Lawmakers have proposed to amend the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code by introducing the following bills:

  1. HB3529:
  2. Would expand the types of alcohol mixed beverage holders could temporarily sell at certain racing facilities.

  3. HB3442:
  4. Would provide another program that courts could offer to minor defendants accused of certain criminal violations for a minor on deferred disposition.

  5. HB3428:
  6. This bill would make it a violation for a business to not display the red 51% gun sign if the business is required to display the same.

  7. HB3385:
  8. Would create a new TABC permit called a “Farm Winery Permit.”

  9. HB3336:
  10. Would provide a tax credit to certain permit holders with a tax credit for liquor and malt beverage byproducts donated for agricultural purposes.

  11. HB3085:
  12. Would expand the eligibility of certain cities to create a municipal alcoholic beverage zone.

  13. SB1378:
  14. Would allow a TX winery to also hold a nonresident seller’s permit if it has the following characteristics:

    • Its winery permit was issued before May 1, 2010;
    • Is located in a municipality with a population of more than 130,000 but less than 150,000; and
    • Is located in a municipality within 3 counties, one of which has a population of more than 2million and less than 3 million.
  15. SB1355:
  16. Would allow distilleries to tell liquor to wholesalers on credit.

  17. HB2885:
  18. Would allow cities and counties to order a local option election without collecting the required signatures if located in a county with the following characteristics:

    • Has a population of more than 70,000 and less than 100,000;
    • that contains a portion of the Colorado River; and
    • that is adjacent to a county with a population of one million or more.
  19. HB2793:
  20. This bill would give mixed beverage permit holders the ability to allow patrons to bring their own (uninvoiced) wine onto the licensed premise, and would also allow MB permit holders to charge a corkage fee for opening uninvoiced wine.

  21. SB1240:
  22. This bill would allow breweries, wine-only package store permit holders and brewpubs to transfer beer between different locations.

  23. HB 2441:
  24. Would allow carrier permit holders to transport beer, give consumer delivery permit holders the ability to deliver beer on behalf of breweries or subordinate brewpub holders, enable brewer’s license holders to ship product to the ultimate consumer, would create a new type of permit called an “out-of-state brewery direct shipper’s license,” and would make it a criminal offense to ship beer into Texas from outside the state without an out-of-state brewery direct shipper’s license.

  25. SB853:
  26. Would exempt mixed beverage permit holders that also hold a subordinate brewpub license from paying mixed beverage gross receipt taxes in certain situations.

  27. SB791:
  28. As it relates to public consumption offenses during certain hours, this bill would expand the definition of a public place to include non-licensed locations.

  29. HB 679:
  30. In areas where the sale of liquor for off-premise consumption has been approved by local option election (areas wet for liquor stores) this bill would authorize Texas Package Stores a.k.a liquor stores to sell alcohol on Sundays between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m, unless another local option election is approved to prohibit Sunday liquor store sales.

  31. HB 708:
  32. Texas distilleries are currently prohibited from selling more than four 750ml bottles of liquor to the same consumer within a 30-day period under Tex. Alco. Bev. Code 14.05(c). This bill would remove the 30 day limitation by repealing 14.05(c).

  33. SB 245
  34. This bill would change the areas in which Consumer Delivery Permit Holders (CD Permittees) are allowed to deliver alcohol on behalf of alcohol retailers. Currently, CD Permittees are restricted to deliveries in wet areas within 2 miles of the city boundary line in which the underlying retailer is located; or if the underlying retailer is not in a city, the county where the retailer is located. SB 245 would amend the allowed delivery area for CD Permittees to within 50 miles from the underlying retailer’s premises.

  35. SB 246
  36. Texas Distillers would be allowed to ship liquor to Texas consumers via a Carrier Permittee.

    This bill would also create a new TABC permit called an “Out-of State-Distillery-Direct-Shipper’s Permit.” The new permit would allow US distilleries located outside of Texas to ship liquor to Texas consumers.

    Finally, SB 245 would make shipping liquor from outside of Texas to consumers within the State a criminal offense if the shipper does not have Out-of State-Distillery-Direct-Shipper’s Permit. The TABC has recently expressed concern about illegal direct-to-consumer shipping; TABC’s Executive Director Thomas Graham spoke about this issue at the 2023 National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA) Conference.

  37. SB 287
  38. If passed, this one would essentially eliminate byob strip clubs in Texas by prohibiting non-TABC-licensed sexually oriented businesses from allowing alcohol to be brought or consumed at their business.

  39. HB 1301
  40. This would create a new subordinate TABC permit for Brewery (BW) and Winery (G) permit holders with restaurant facilities at their business. The subordinate permit would make these manufacturing-tier businesses eligible to sell beer and wine not brewed or fermented by the business. This would give BW’s with restaurant facilities the ability to sell outside beer and wine – similar to how Beer and Wine Retailers (BG) with subordinate Brewpub Licenses (BP) can – and for G’s to sell beer.

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